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Housing and Economic Development budget includes HUD-funded lead-paint FTE and continued grant reliance
Summary
Director Greg Watson presented a mostly level budget for Housing & Economic Development that adds one HUD-funded lead-paint position and shifts an employee from a sunsetting ARPA role into a program coordinator role.
The City Council Finance Committee on May 8 reviewed the Portland Housing and Economic Development Department's proposed fiscal-year budget, which department director Greg Watson described as largely level with a modest staffing-driven increase.
“This should be relatively straightforward. We are asking for a very minimal increase ... In real terms, that is a 7.3% increase that is tied exclusively to employment,” Greg Watson said, adding that the one new FTE included in the plan is fully funded through a HUD lead-paint grant. Watson said the grant runs for three years and replaces a prior HUD allocation that had expired.
Watson also explained that an existing employee, Kayla Gonzalez, previously shared between the department and finance as an ARPA coordinator, will move full-time into a program coordinator role in housing economic development because the ARPA program has largely wound down. Watson said only about $100,000 of the department's approximately $1.9 million budget comes from the city’s general fund; the rest is mostly federal grants (primarily HUD) and area-wide TIFs.
Council members asked about contributions listed under “contributions” and Watson and Bridal explained that budget-to-actual timing and accruals can cause apparent underspending in a fiscal year; underspent budgeted amounts flow into the city's fund balance at year end. Watson also noted the department’s continuing contributions to local partners: Creative Portland remains at $200,000, and Portland Adult Ed receives a similar contribution level.
Watson cautioned that federal funding levels are uncertain in the coming year but said the department's budgeting assumes level funding from HUD. The committee did not take formal action on the department's budget at this meeting; staff said budget orders and associated backup will be drafted for the public hearing and first-read process in coming weeks.
Committee members expressed support for the department’s grant-funded approach while noting the exposure to federal funding shifts as a risk to program continuity.
